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Fri, 17 April 2020
New indigenous kit to confirm COVID-19 in 2 hrs
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23:10 New indigenous kit to confirm COVID-19 in 2 hrs
Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said the Kerala-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology has developed a low-cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID-19 in two hours.
The diagnostic test kit developed by the Thiruvananthapuram institute can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the sample to result time will be less than two hours, Vardhan tweeted.
A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch on a single machine, he said.
'The confirmatory diagnostic test, which detects the N Gene of #SARS_COV_2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid, will be one of the world's first few, if not the first of its kind in the world,' Vardhan tweeted. -- PTI
23:08 Maha: Online property registration-stamp duty to resume
The Maharashtra government has decided to resume online registration and stamp duty of sale and purchase of properties, as per directives of a cabinet sub-committee headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
It was also decided that 25 per cent of district plan, tribal and SC sub-plan funds will be earmarked for the health sector during 2020-21, officials said.
"Personnel serving in essential services like health, medical education,police administration and home guards should get their pending wages immediately.
"If industrialists ensure they will take care of their workers' accommodation and health in rural areas and industrial estates of MIDC, such industrial units can be reopened," they said.
The state disaster management authority should take appropriate decision as per Central government guidelines, and the meeting also decided to start MNREGA worls in rural areas. -- PTI
22:04 MHA to states: Screen Rohingyas for COVID-19
The home ministry has asked all states and UTs to screen Rohingya Muslims living in their jurisdiction for Covid-19 as many of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, officials said on Friday.
In a communication to chief secretaries and directors general of police, the ministry said there have been reports that several Rohingya Muslims have attended 'Ijtemas' and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting Covid-19.
The ministry said the Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad had attended Tablighi Jamaat 'Ijtema' at Haryana's Mewat, and had also attended the meet at national capital's Nizamuddin. -- PTI
21:33 Mumbai COVID-19 count rises to 2,120; toll 121
The number of COVID-19 patients in Mumbai rose to 2,120 on Friday with 77 more persons testing coronavirus positive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The death toll in the megapolis due to the pandemic reached 121 on Friday, as five more persons succumbed to the infection, the civic body said in a release.
According to the BMC, 37 patients have so far recovered and discharged from the hospital, which took the number of cured persons in the city to 239.
It added that 201 persons have been admitted to the hospitals for possible exposure to coronavirus. -- PTI
A group of migrants walk to their villages near the Delhi-UP border. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo
20:49 M'rashtra lets 1 lakh cane workers go home
The Maharashtra government has decided to allow over one lakh migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native villages amid the lockdown subject to the carrying out of medical tests in connection with the coronavirus outbreak, state Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde said on Friday.
A statement from the minister's office said 1.31 lakh sugarcane workers are living in temporary shelters provided in the premises of 38 sugarcane factories in the state, while several others are stuck elsewhere.
The lockdown, which has hit migrant workers hard due to the ban on movement and has resulted in sporadic outpouring of anger, is in force across the country till May 3.
Incidentally, the state government decision to allow migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native villages will entail a huge number of inter-district movements.
"Good news for my sugarcane worker brothers! You can return to your home (villages) now. The government has issued an order in this regard. Return to home staying within the rules laid down by the government. Take care of your health as well of your villages. Stay inside homes when you return there," Munde tweeted.
-- PTI
20:23 Kerala reports only 1 COVID-19 case, 255 cured
In the second time in a week, Kerala reported a lone COVID-19 case on Friday, taking the active cases to 138 while 78,000 people are under observation.
The solitary case is from Kozhikode.
On April 15, the state had reported only one case of coronavirus infection, which has claimed two lives in Kerala.
Of the 10 people discharged today, six are from the worst affected Kasaragod, two from Ernakulam and one each from Alappuzha and Malappuram districts, a government press release said.
"So far 255 people have been cured of the infection.With this there are only 138 active cases undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the state," the release said.
At least 78,454 people are under observationwhile 526 are in various hospitals, the release said.
The samples of 18,029 people with virus symptoms have been sent for testing. Of this 17, 279 results have returned negative.
While Kasaragod has 51 people undergoing treatment in hospitals, the neighbouring Kannur district has 47 in hospitals.
The country's first three coronavirus cases had been reported from Kerala---all medical students from Wuhan, the Chinese city from where the global pandemic began. -- PTI
20:19 10 held for gathering in mosque to offer Friday prayer
10 persons were arrested in Kaiserganj area in Bahraich for gathering in mosque to offer Friday namaz in breach of the lockdown provisions, police said.
Bahraich Additional Superintendent of Police Ravindra Singh said in Bairimaheshpur village some persons gathered to offer Friday prayers despite lockdown.
Taking strict action against them, police arrested 10 persons and lodged FIR against them under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease) and other sections of the Epidemic Act, he said.
All the arrested persons were sent to a quarantine centre, he added. -- PTI
19:18 Dharavi COVID-19 count 101 with 15 new cases
The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai's Dharavi slum area reached 101 on Friday with 15 new patients being detected, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
A 62-year-old COVID-19 patient from the area died at Sion hospital, he added.
A total of 10 coronavirus patients from this densely populated area have died so far.
Three new cases each were found in Matunga labour camp, Muslim Nagar and Indira Nagar, two at Social Nagar and one each at Dr Baliga Nagar, Laxmi Chawl, Janata society and Sarvoday Society on Friday, said the BMC official. -- PTI
18:56 Govt urges pvt schools to reconsider fee hike
Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Friday urged private schools to reconsider their decisions on annual fee hike and collecting fee quarterly during the lockdown.
"I urge pvt schools to reconsider decisions on annual fee hike, collecting fee quarterly during lockdown.
"I hope state education departments will address the fee issue keeping in mind the concerns of parents and schools.
"A few states have taken positive steps to address school fee-related issues during lockdown, hope others will consider too," Nishank said in a series of tweets in Hindi. -- PTI
18:51 Angry over delayed wages, workers attack company's office
Angered by delay in payment of wages amid lockdown, workers of a construction firm pelted stones at its office and injured four policemen in Maharashtra's Solapur district, an official said.
The incident took place outside the office of Dilip Buildcon at Junoni near Sangola on Thursday evening, said a police officer.
Five people have been arrested, he added.
Over a thousand labourers were working on a road construction project of the company on National Highway 166, the official said.
Amid the lockdown for containing coronavirus, the manager of the construction firm told workers that the company was in the position to pay them only half the monthly wages at present, and would not be able to provide them food.
A group of angry workers gathered at the company's office on Thursday evening, demanding full payment in a single tranche.
Office staff alerted police who rushed to the spot, the official said. But the workers soon started pelting stones at the office and the vehicles parked on the premises, he said.
At least four police personnel were injured and as many vehicles including two police cars were vandalised by the mob, the official added.
Additional police force was called in and the situation was brought under control, he said.
A case was registered under IPC sections related to rioting, assault on public servants and breach of prohibitory orders against nine persons and five of them were arrested, the police official said. -- PTI
Representative image
18:09 14 Markaz attendees held post quarantine
As many as 14 Tablighi Jamaat meet participants, including 11 Bangladeshis, were arrested after the completion of their quarantine period on Friday.
The Jamaatis were arrested after the completion of their quarantine period and sent to a temporary jail set up here for them, said Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Ram Badan Singh.
They were earlier picked up on March 31 from a private guest house in Kazipur locality under City Kotwali police station and their samples were sent for testing , Bhadohi Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Singh said.
Dr Singh said after receiving their reports, which were negative, they were sent on 14-days quarantine which ended on April 15.
District Magistrate Rajendra Prasad said their passports have been confiscated.
Besides 11 Bangladeshis, these Jamaatis include one from Assam native and two from West Bengal, said the SP, adding they all had arrived here from Delhi on March 4.
Cases were also lodged against seven others, including the guest house owner, who had helped them live in hiding here, the SP added. -- PTI
Image used only for representation.
17:56 Tweets by Phogat, Rangoli: Maha man files plaint
A man in Aurangabad in Maharashtra has filed a complaint claiming tweets by wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat and actor Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel in connection with the novel coronavirus outbreak intended to create disharmony among communities, police said on Friday.
The man, associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, filed the complaint in City Chowk police station on Thursday, an official said, and added it would be forwarded through the Aurangabad commissioner to the police in the areas where the two reside.
"The complainant has cited tweets by Phogat on April 2 and April 15. He also alleged that Chandel's tweet on April 15 was intended to target a specific community and spread hate.
"He has demanded registration of a case against Phogat and Chandel under section 153A of IPC and the Information Technology Act," the official informed. -- PTI
17:33 Aviation could take 2 years to recover: Survey
The aviation industry may take between six months to two years to recover from the severe blow dealt by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey carried out by global consultancy ICF.
The survey, conducted among senior and mid-level executives from across the world between late March and early April, also revealed that there may be increased scrutiny placed on the health and sanitary conditions of individual countries that could impact air service and passenger demand.
"The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a total or partial shutdown of their business. As to how long business activity will remain depressed, nearly half of respondents expect the slowdown to last three to four months. "One-third of respondents, however, think it can last five months to one year. In contrast, nearly half of respondents expect recovery will take up to two years," as per the survey.
"Not only are we facing the most profound activity slowdown in aviation history, but respondents are also expecting a slow road to recovery. Just over one-third of respondents anticipate activity will return to pre-crisis levels within a year," it stated.
Given how deep the present crisis is and the growing probability that it will trigger a global recession, ICG said it expects the recovery period to be significantly longer than the respondents' expectations. "It is important to remember, however, that traffic has always come back," it added. At the same time, the survey observed regional differences in the respondents' views on the period of recovery, with those in Asia being most optimistic about the future rebound in business activity. -- PTI
17:27 Rahul praises Cong-ruled states' fight against COVID-19
Rahul Gandhi on Friday praised Congress-ruled states' determination to fight the coronavirus pandemic and cited a new 200-bed hospital built within 20 days in Chhattisgarh, saying "where there is a will, there is a way". "Congress-ruled states: Rajasthan, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry are putting up a strong fight against Covid19. New, special hospitals are being readied, like in Chhattisgarh this 200-bedded hospital especially for Coronavirus treatment has been readied in merely 20 days. Where there is a will, there is a way," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The former Congress chief has been lauding Congress-ruled states for their efforts in fighting the pandemic and has urged the central government to empower them more, as the real fight was at the ground level done by states. -- PTI
17:21 Complain if schools demand fees during lockdown: Maha minister
While on Maharashtra, School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said on Friday that parents can complain to district education officers if schools have demanded fees during lockdown period. In a statement, Gaikwad said the government had issued an order on March 30 that schools and other educational institutions should not demand fees during lockdown. The directive said that they can start fee collection after the lockdown is lifted.
"I have got complaints that demand for fees is still being made and parents are being pressurized to pay fees now even though the lockdown period is till May 3," the minister said. "Parents can complain about this to the district education officer who will ensure implementation of the order," she added. -- PTI
17:19 Maha govt tells landlords to defer 3 months' rent
The Maharashtra State Housing Department has issued instructions to landlords/ house owners to postpone rent collection by at least three months. During this period, no tenant should be evicted from the rented house due to non-payment of rent, the notification says. Please see the notification alongside.
16:52 Migrants cycle, walk towards home 480 km away
Migrant labourers cycle, walk in Nagpur towards their homes in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh in the searing heat. "I started my journey from Nashik five days ago and it will take another six days to reach my home," says a labourer.
16:49 Andhra Pradesh receives one lakh COVID-19 rapid testing kits from S Korea
Some good news coming in from Andhra Pradesh. The state has received 1 lakh COVID-19 rapid testing kits from South Korea, to increase the number of tests in the state and speed up the time taken to conduct these tests. A special chartered flight from South Korea delivered the kits to the state. Through the kits the results of coronavirus testing can be confirmed within 10 minutes, and these kits will be used for identification even if the infection is cured. Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy said that the kits will be sent to all districts within 4-5 days, and will be used for community testing.
Andhra Pradesh has so far reported 534 COVID-19 cases, out of which 20 people have been discharged, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. -- ANI
Image: Asha workers in Vijaywada. Pic: ANI
16:35 1919 COVID-19 hospitals, 21,800 ICU beds: Govt
The Union Health Ministry press briefing: -- In 19 states and Union Territories, COVID-19 case doubling rate is less than national average. These include Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Puducherry, Delhi, Bihar, Odisha, TN, Andhra Pradesh , UP, Punjab, Assam, Tripura etc .
-- Before lockdown, doubling rate of COVID-19 cases was about 3 days, but according to data in the past 7 days, the doubling rate of cases now stands at 6.2 days.
-- We have been witnessing average growth factor at 1.2 since April 1 which stood at 2.1 (average) between March 15 & March 13. Hence, there is 40 per cent decline in average growth factor even as we increased COVID-19 testings.
-- All our actions are focused on speeding up vaccine development. We are working on recombinant BCG, convalescent plasma therapy, monoclonal antibodies to fight COVID19.
-- 1007 new COVID-19 cases, 23 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The ratio between recovered COVID-19 patients and deaths stands at 80:20.
- There are 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds, 21,800 ICU beds readied in India.
A spectacularly empty Mumbai-Pune Expressway
15:55 Sales of petrol, diesel slump 50%, LPG rises
India's fuel consumption slumped by a record 50 per cent in April as all petroleum products except LPG saw massive demand erosion following a nationwide lockdown halted economic activity and travel. According to provisional industry data for fuel consumption in the first half of April, petrol sales were down 64 per cent, while diesel slumped by 61 per cent. Aviation turbine fuel consumption collapsed by 94 per cent as most airlines have stopped flying. The only fuel that showed growth was LPG as the government dole of free cooking gas cylinders to poor households fired up consumption by 21 per cent during April 1 to 15, the data showed. Overall the decline in petroleum product sales was 50 per cent, it said.
The data pertains to sales made by three public sector oil marketing companies. Private firms such as Nayara Energy do not share mid-month sales trend and their numbers get reflected only in the monthly consumption numbers released by the oil ministry in the second week of every month. Industry officials said this is the biggest ever drop in sales and the first data for the complete lockdown period. -- PTI
15:47 China revises coronavirus figures in Wuhan by 50%; national death toll jumps to 4,632
China's coronavirus death toll mounted to 4,632 on Friday after it revised the fatality figures by 50 per cent in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, as Beijing faced mounting international criticism of under-reporting of the COVID-19 data. Citing data discrepancies, the Wuhan municipal headquarters on Friday revised the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths due to the disease which originated in the central Chinese city in December last year.
As of April 16, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wuhan was raised by 325 cases to 50,333 and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The revised figure raised China's overall COVID-19 death toll to 4,632. The total number of cases also increased to 82,692. -- PTI
Relatives bury the body of a woman who died of COVID-19 in Delhi
15:40 Naidu 'deeply disturbed' by opposition to COVID-19 victim's funeral
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said he was "deeply disturbed" by news reports that locals in Meghalaya resisted the funeral of a doctor who died of COVID-19 fearing that it could further spread the disease, saying such incidents were a blot on the society's consciousness. Citing a newspaper report, he said there was a delay of 36 hours in the funeral of the Meghalaya doctor.
"Such incidents are a blot on the society's consciousness and of great concern for all of us, irrespective of party, religion and region," he said in a Facebook post. The "unfortunate behaviour" from the locals forced Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to finally intervene in the matter and help resolve it, Naidu pointed out.
The vice president said the physician's body lay for several hours in the hospital he had founded after attempts to bury or cremate him were unsuccessful due to local resistance.
"There is an urgent need to educate the people and remove misconceptions on COVID-19 to prevent such inhuman incidents in the future," he said. The vice president has shared his concerns on the issue with the home secretary and the director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
He said it is a matter of deep anguish that such an incident occurred in spite of an advisory being issued by the central government in March for the management of dead bodies infected with novel coronavirus. "I urge all citizens to be empathic and respond compassionately, not react irrationally, especially during these testing times," Naidu said. -- PTI
15:23 Steps taken by RBI reinforces PM's vision: HM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against COVID-19, "ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead". He added that the decisions taken by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday to boost the Indian economy, further reinforce Prime Minister Modi's vision."
Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead. Steps taken by RBI today, to boost Indian economy, further reinforce Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision," Shah tweeted.
"RBI's decision to extend 25000 cr credit facility to NABARD will greatly help our farmers, 15,000 cr to SIDBI will provide much needed financial stability to MSMEs and startups, boost the Make in India program. 10,000 cr to NHB and liquidity measures for Banks and NBFCs will help too," he added. -- PTI
15:21 Can COVID-19 spread through farts?
Coronavirus could be spreading through farts, a doctor is warning. One medic claimed people may be passing the deadly disease on to others through omitting bodily gasses -- however experts aren't so sure. Read the story here.
15:17 No COVID-19 cases in 3 hotspots in last 15 days: Delhi govt
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday informed that no new coronavirus cases have been reported from the three locations, including Dilshad Garden for the last 15 days. Asked about the conduction of 'Operation Shield', Jain said that the Delhi government has identified a total of 60 containment zones so far under the operation. "60 containment zones have been identified till now," he told ANI.
Notably, apart from Dilshad Garden, 'Operation Shield' was successful in two hotspots in -- Vasundhara Enclave and Khichripur. Both these areas were sealed on March 31. According to the Union Health Ministry, Delhi has recorded 1,640 of COVID-19 cases, out of which 51 people have been cured and 38 have lost their lives so far. -- ANI
Image: Police personnel deployed for surveillance in COVID19 hotspot area of Shahdara in Delhi. Pic: ANI
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15:13 Woman gives birth inside police jeep in Delhi
A woman delivered a baby boy inside a police jeep amid the ongoing lockdown while they were on their way to a hospital in west Delhi's Khyala, police said on Friday. The pregnant woman along with her family went to the police station and met a woman constable Suman on Thursday night, they said.
"The family requested the constable to seek an ambulance for the woman. The constable informed her seniors and a police gypsy was sent," said Deepak Purohit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West). The pregnant woman, Mini Kumar, was in labour and delivered the baby inside the police jeep, the DCP said.
According to police, the jeep was hardly one kilometre away from the hospital when the woman delivered the baby. Her husband and sister pulled out the baby while the woman constable helped in the delivery. The doctors were informed and they came to the jeep with their medical equipment.
The baby was wrapped in a towel and handed over to the doctors later who took care of both of them. Both the mother and baby are healthy and have been shifted to the hospital, police added. -- PTI
File pic
15:08 Indians hoarding cash amid lockdown: RBI
The Reserve Bank has pumped Rs 1.2 lakh crore of fresh currency into the system in last 45 days since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday. Automated teller machines and business correspondents, who take banking services to far flung areas, are also working at high capacity levels to ensure financial services reach everybody, he said.
The comments on currency come amid media reports of a Rs 86,000 crore jump in currency circulation in March and also a greater tendency among people to withdraw to hoard cash amid the lockdown.
"Regional offices of the RBI have supplied fresh currency of Rs 1.2 lakh crore from March 1 till April 14 to currency chests across the country to meet increased demand for currency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic," Das said in his video message over social media.
He lauded banks for rising to the occasion and ensuring that ATMs are refilled regularly despite the logistical challenges during the lockdown. Additionally, there has not been any downtime in internet or mobile banking as well, he said.
The governor said banks have been required to put in place business continuity plans to operate from their disaster recovery (DR) sites or identify alternate locations for critical operations so that there is no disruption in customer services.
Das said 150 officials from the RBI are in quarantine, but they are looking after currency functions like in circulation, retail and wholesale payment and settlement systems, reserve management, financial markets and liquidity management, financial regulation and supervision, and a host of other services available so that "the nation may survive COVID-19". -- PTI
14:58 30 COVID-19 patients discharged, docs tell families don't isolate them
Thirty patients, who had tested positive for coronavirus, were discharged from the Government Omandurar Medical College and Hospital, which is a COVID-19 Centre, in Chennai on Friday after completing their treatment. "We had 95 COVID-19 positive patients. 30 out of 95 have totally recovered after the treatment. They have tested twice negative for coronavirus in the past 16 days. They are totally free from the disease," Narayana Babu, Dean of Government Omandurar Medical College and Hospital told ANI.
He further said that the families of the patients should not isolate them as they have recovered completely from the disease. "As of now, there are no sick patients here. Only we have patients who are waiting for testing again. Patients are getting care. There will be a mild depression among patients as they are coming out of hospitals after many days. We have counselled them. Their families should not isolate them, they should not make patients feel isolated. The virus cannot attack them now," Narayana Babu said.
A patient, who recovered from COVID-19 said: "Healthcare staff addressed all our problems. Whatever has been preached in Islam, same was advised by the doctors, like regularly washing hands and being optimistic."
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are a total of 1,267 coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu.
Image: 30 out of 95 patients recovered after treatment at the Chennai hospital. Pic: ANI
14:50 India to export 745 tonne raw sugar to US
The government on Friday permitted export of additional 745 tonne raw sugar under its tariff-rate quota to the US which enables shipments to enjoy relatively low tariff. TRQ is a quota for a volume of exports that enter the US at relatively low tariffs.
After the quota is reached, a higher tariff applies on additional imports. "Additional quantity of 745 MTRV (metric tonne raw value) of raw cane sugar, for export to the USA, under TRQ, up to September 30, 2020 has been notified," Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a public notice.
With this additional quantity, India has permitted exports of 9,169 tonne of raw sugar to the US under TRQ during US fiscal year 2020. 8,424 tonne was permitted up to September 3, 2019. US fiscal year runs from October to September. India enjoys duty-free sugar exports to the US for up to 10,000 tonnes annually under preferential quota arrangement. -- PTI
14:46 3236 COVID-19 cases in Maha, highest in India
With 34 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, the state tally rose to 3,236 on Friday, informed the state Health Department. Maharashtra is one of the worst affected states in the country. It is followed by Delhi with 1640 cases. With an increase of 1,007 cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 13,387. As many as 23 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.
Out of the total count, 11,201 are active, while 1,749 people have been cured/discharged/migrated and 437 deaths have been reported till Friday morning. -- ANI
Image: A doctor takes a swab sample of a resident in a slum in Mumbai. Pic: ANI
14:30 'India gave the quickest response to COVID-19'
Dr Raman Gangakhedkar is the Head Scientist of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research. Dr Gangakhedkar, a soft-spoken Maharashtrian, is currently the face of the Indian scientific community in the times of a pandemic that the world is yet to conquer. His words carry credibility to a billion plus Indians confined to their homes.
Dr Gangakhedekar speaks to Senior Rediff.com Contributor Sheela Bhatt in an exclusive two-part interview. Do read
14:24 'PM sent planes for NRIs, why not trains for workers?'
Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi extended the lockdown to May 3 in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, television channels across the country beamed visuals of a sea of migrant workers congregating at Mumbai's Bandra railway station, demanding that they be sent home.
Elsewhere in the country, too, migrant labourers have been undertaking arduous and dangerous treks back to their villages, hoping to be with their families.
While some have applauded the prime minister for taking tough decisions despite the economic and social consequences, others believe Modi and his government have failed India's poor.
One of them is All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur who has been scathing in her criticism of Modi.
"The migrants are all alone and the anxiety is building. They had hoped that PM Modi would give them some relief on April 14, but that did not happen," Kaur tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com. Read the interview here.
Representational image
13:41 Pak exports terror, India exports meds: Army
Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday slammed Pakistan for "exporting terror" at a time when India and the world were fighting the coronavirus pandemic. "While we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world too by sending medical teams and exporting medicines. On the other hand, Pakistan is only exporting terror. This doesn't auger well," the Army Chief said.
The Army Chief, who is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, to review LoC operations, said, "It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us."
The LoC in recent days has seen several ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Recently, the Indian Army carried out precision strikes against terrorist launchpads in the Dudhniyal area in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The operation was undertaken by the force after a series of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts by the Pakistan Army in the Keran sector.The Indian Army also killed five terrorists who had infiltrated from the Keran sector on April 1.
The terrorists had used the same launch pad which was targeted and destroyed by the Army later on in Dudhniyal. -- ANI
13:36 The answer is Nirupama Rao Menon
So, the answer to our 12:42 pm post is: Nirupama Menon Rao. She served as India's Foreign Secretary from 2009 to 2011, as well as being India's Ambassador to the United States, China and Sri Lanka (High Commissioner) during her career. She was the second woman to hold the post of India's Foreign Secretary.
In her distinguished career she served in several capacities including, Minister of Press, Information and Culture in Washington DC, Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow, stints in the MEA as Joint Secretary, East Asia and External Publicity, the latter position making her the first woman spokesperson of the MEA, Chief of Personnel, Ambassador to Peru and China, and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
She tweeted the throwback image (see the 12:42 pm post), writing, "#MeAt20 in 1971. Had just received my B.A degree at the Convocation of #BangaloreUniversity . An Age of Innocence. Could hardly imagine where my dreams would take me. And what a journey it would be."
13:22 Eight COVID-19 cases in Indian Army
Army Chief General MM Naravane says, so far the Indian Army has only eight positive cases, of which two are doctors and 1 is a nursing assistant. Four are responding well to treatment. One case in Ladakh is fully cured and has joined duty.
13:14 Affordable housing stares at big trouble: Experts
Affordable housing will be one of the most affected sectors due to the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, according to a cross-section of industry experts. Khushru Jijina, Managing Director of Piramal Capital and Housing Finance, said blue-collar workers will be the most impacted section.
"Only if all of us (developers) survive and our projects are completed, then only we will be able to do business," he said while addressing a webinar organised by the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO).
Jijina said developers must plan how to honour their commitments. "Price reduction is unknown to us, but people should understand that now this is the bottom. We say there is no better industry than real estate for long-term returns," he said.
Sanjay Dutt, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Realty and Infrastructure, said developers have been absorbing rising labour costs, interest costs and raw material costs. "There is no doubt that developers are under huge strain. Investors gone away will come back and only real estate will give them good return in future," he said.
NAREDCO President Niranjan Hiranandani said a reduction in property prices cannot raise the demand. "The demand for residential properties will take some time, but it will be strong in commercial segments. If we can bring the capital at cheaper rates, it will help the real estate sector a lot."
Deepak Parekh, Chairman of mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation, on Tuesday said estate prices in the country will correct by up to 20 per cent in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and the resultant nationwide lockdown.
"The price of real estate has to come down, and will come down," said Parekh in his address at the webinar. "I believe NAREDCO's estimate is around 10 to 15 per cent. One must be prepared for even 20 per cent," he added. -- ANI
13:01 Corona car-nama
An unusual picture of the lockdown in India. These are vehicles seized by the police in Trichy after owners violated lockdown rules. Pic: ANI
Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia
12:58 Pvt schools in Delhi can't hike fees in lockdown
No private school will be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday.
"We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. No private school will be allowed to hike fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee," Sisodia said at a press conference.
Sisodia, who is also the education minister of Delhi, clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be levied during the lockdown, which will continue till May 3.
"No school can charge three months' tuition fee (at a time), the fee has to be collected monthly. Schools are mandated to pay salaries to their staff including the contractual ones. If they are short of funds, they can reach out to their parent organisation for funds. "No student's access to online classes should be restricted, irrespective of fee payment," Sisodia said. -- PTI
12:45 Mishti shops in Bengal hope to make profit after extended lockdown ease
Sweetmeat makers in West Bengal have welcomed the state government's decision to allow their shops to operate from 8 am to 4pm, an extension from its earlier noon-4pm window, amid the lockdown imposed by the government to combat COVID-19.
Several confectioners, who were sceptical about opening their outlets for just four hours, fearing more losses, will now confidently lift shutters in the next two to three days, West Bengal Sweetmeat Shop Owners' Association Secretary Jagannath Ghosh said.
"There are around one lakh sweet shops in Bengal. Just about 30 per cent shops were doing business since March 31 (when the 4-hour order was issued), trying to recover the cost incurred. The new notification will encourage more owners to open their outlets. By Sunday, 50 per cent shops will lift shutters and hopefully make profit.
"I say 50 per cent as employees of many sweet shops have returned to their villages and the owners will find it extremely difficult to run the show without them," Ghosh said.
Dhiman Chandra Das, the owner of popular confectionery 'K C Das', said he would have to make arrangements for the safety of customers and staffers over the next three days. "We need to clean the entire premises and make adequate provisions for sanitisers and hand wipes before starting operations. Hopefully, we will be able to offset the mounting losses during the morning hours, when more people are out on the streets to buy essentials," he said.
The government, in a notification on April 16 said "in continuation of the order dated March 30, it is hereby noted that sweetmeat shops (mistir dokan) may be open from 8 am to 4 pm" from now on. The notification clearly spelt out that only takeaway services will be allowed for dry sweets. -- PTI
12:42 Name her
It's not Thursday, but we couldn't resist posting this throwback picture.
The lady is an IFS officer who served during the UPA regime. She was ambassador to China, US, Peru, Bolivia.
She was a pioneer among senior officers of the Government of India in the use of social media.
She's a poet and an author.
Who is she?
(And no, the answer is not, Sushma Swaraj.)
No masks, no social distancing at Kumaraswamy's son's wedding
12:30 Kumaraswamy's son's gets married
Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, married Revathi, grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing, M Krishnappa, on Friday. According to sources, more than 100 people participated in the marriage ceremony held at Kumaraswamy's farmhouse in Kethaganahally, Ramanagara. There were around 50-60 members from former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's family and more than 30 people participated from Revathi's family, sources added.This comes in the middle of a nationwide lockdown which has been imposed to deal with the coronavirus threat.
Earlier, HD Kumaraswamy had said that the marriage ceremony would be held behind closed doors in the presence of family members. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who contested the Lok Sabha election from Mandya, is also the national youth wing president of Janata Dal-Secular. -- ANI
12:26 COVID-19 deaths in US cross 33,000
Coronavirus related fatalities in the US continued to surge even as US President Donald Trump announced a phased approach to ease restrictions of movement. According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, by Friday 10 am, the death toll stood at 33,286 out of which more than 11,000 deaths have been reported from New York alone. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country stood at 6,71,349.
Meanwhile, Trump has unveiled a three phase plan to reopen the states from coronavirus lockdown. "My administration is issuing new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopen their individual states," The Hill quoted Trump as saying.
However, the guidance plan does not specify a timeline for relaxing social distancing restrictions. -- ANI
Behind the curtain: Bank officials in Surat
12:23 92 new coronavirus cases surface in Gujarat, tally 1000
And in Gujarat, this is what it looks like: The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Gujarat crossed the 1,000-mark on Friday after 92 new infections were reported during the last 12 hours, said health officials. With this, the coronavirus count in Gujarat now stands at 1,021.
Out of the 92 new cases reported during the last 12 hours, the highest, 45,were from Ahmedabad, followed by 14 in Surat, 9 in Vadodara, 8 in Bharuch and 5 in Narmada, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi. Other districts where new cases have emerged include Botad (3), Panchmahal (2) and one each in Anand, Chhotaudepur, Dahod, Kheda and Mahisagar, she said.
12:17 Karnataka scales up COVID-19 tests 5 times to 1,500 per day
Karnataka has scaled up the number of coronovirus tests by five times, said a key Minister, who regretted that some of those who died due to COVID-19 pandemic could have saved their lives had they opted to avail the treatment early. In the biggest jump in a day, Karnataka reported 36 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the total to 315 in the State, where the death toll stands at 13.
Speaking to PTI on Friday, Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K, who is in-charge of all matters related to COVID-19, said those are not new cases in the sense they are related to primary and secondary contacts (who have been quarantined) of those who have already tested positive.
He said 200-300 real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR) tests, one of the most accurate laboratory methods for detecting, tracking, and studying the coronavirus, were used to be conducted a day in the State. The number has now been increased five times, to 1,500 such tests per day, the Minister said, adding, it would be further scaled up substantially once rapid test kits are delivered from China in a day or two.
-- PTI
12:15 Irans nurses are martyrs to Trumps maximum pressure
"Upwards of 100 Iranian health workers have died from the coronavirus, prompting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to announce in March that doctors and nurses who die from the infection will be recognized as 'martyrs,' an honorific usually used for soldiers who sacrifice themselves in battle and that authorizes the families of the deceased to receive certain benefits, such as subsidized housing and education. But Iran's official response to the crisis has been slow and inefficient, and U.S. sanctions are making things worse.
In 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed harsh economic sanctions on the country, hampering access to desperately needed medical supplies and equipment.
Now, Iran's nurses -- the majority of whom are women'"are among those bearing the worst of the brunt of US sanctions."
Read the report here.
Representational image
12:07 Govt lifts curbs on exports of formulations made from Paracetamol
The government on Friday removed restrictions on exports of formulations made from Paracetamol amid outbreak of Covid-19. However, restrictions on exports of Paracetamol active pharmaceutical ingredients will continue on, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification. The government on March 3 had put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol. -- PTI
12:02 This is the MHA order on four sectors of the economy
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order to include more activities which include Non-Banking financial institutions, cooperative credit societies and other financial institutions with minimum staff, making them exempt from the lockdown with effect from April 20.
-- Water supply and sanitation, laying/erection of power transmission lines and telecom optical fibre and cable along with related activities in "Construction activities in rural areas" clause.
-- Collection, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce Non-Timber Forest Produce by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas in 'agriculture and horticultural activities.
-- The ministry has added Bamboo, Coconut, Arecanut, Cocoa, spices plantation and their harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing.
-- Non-Banking financial institutions including Housing Finance Companies and Micro Finance Institutions with bare minimum staff have been allowed to function.
These activities will be allowed from 20th April in non-containment zones.
11:50 GOM meeting on coronavirus underway
The Group of Ministers (GOM) meeting on COVID19 underway at Nirman Bhawan. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers present.
11:41 Millions of jobs lost in tourism industry: WTO
Millions of jobs in the global tourism industry could be lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted travel like no other event in history and caused 96 per cent of all worldwide destinations to introduce restrictions in response to the outbreak, the World Tourism Organisation has said. Over recent years, as the United Nations specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO has been regularly monitoring travel facilitation and observing a continuous trend towards more openness.
However, COVID-19 has dramatically interrupted this, the UNWTO said in a new report. Almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel since January 2020, including complete bans on all travel as they work to contain the pandemic, it noted.
"According to research carried out for the new report, as of April 6, 96% of all worldwide destinations have introduced travel restrictions in response to the pandemic. Around 90 destinations have completely or partially closed their borders to tourists, while a further 44 are closed to certain tourists depending on country of origin," it said.
"COVID-19 has impacted travel and tourism like no other event before in history. Governments have put public health first and introduced full or partial restrictions on travel.
"With tourism suspended, the benefits the sector brings are under threat: millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in the fields of equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
The UNWTO called on all governments to continuously review travel restrictions and ease or lift them as soon as it is safe to do so. The UNWTO world review shows that the global regions are largely consistent in their response to COVID-19.
In Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East, 100% of destinations have adopted COVID-19-related restrictions since January 2020. In the Americas, 92% of destinations have taken similar steps, while in Europe, the proportion is 93%. -- PTI
11:37 India steps up procurement of testing, PPE kits from abroad
As India has entered the second phase of lockdown and the number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise, the country is escalating its efforts to ramp up testing. India will receive 5.5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits and one lakh RNA extraction kits from China as it ramps up its testing for coronavirus. India has also engaged South Korea for procurement of testing kits and the consignment will reach India very soon, according to sources.
Indian missions are also in touch with suppliers of medical equipment and have taken quotations for testing kits from vendors in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, France, Germany, Japan and the United States.
With India seen to be facing a shortage of PPTs given the challenge posed by COVID-19, sources told ANI that the huge consignment in the tune of 6 lakhs PPT kits will be in India soon.
They said the Ministry of External Affairs is playing a key role in the procurement of vital medical supplies and equipment from abroad, and special efforts were being made as there is a general shortage. The missions are working with local vendors, customs and airliners to get the supply going. India is not only taking help, but it has also emerged as a reliable supplier of Paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) medicines.
India is giving HCQ to 55 countries out of which 21 countries on a commercial basis and some small quantities on a grant basis, said a source.
There are many Indians stranded abroad and government sources here said that they should stay put wherever they are and get in touch with local missions, who have been reaching out and providing the best possible help. The OCI cardholders are also helping out Indians abroad. -- ANI
11:23 TCS shares jump 8% post Q4 earnings
Shares of Tata Consultancy Services jumped nearly 8 per cent on Friday after the company reported a marginal decline in March quarter earnings. Market analysts said TCS outlined a balanced business outlook and investors are anticipating a recovery in demand conditions by the third quarter of the current financial year.
The scrip of the company advanced 7.94 per cent to Rs 1,851.85 on the BSE. It was the top gainer on the 30-share BSE index. At the NSE, it climbed 7.91 per cent to Rs 1,851.95. TCS on Thursday reported a marginal dip in March quarter net at Rs 8,049 crore on Thursday, but guided towards a very difficult time ahead which may even see a "contraction" in revenues in the first two quarters of FY21, as global clients fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 8,126 crore in the year-ago period. -- PTI
11:17 Tests on asymptomatics after 5 days in quarantine
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct tests for asymptomatic patients for coronavirus only after five days of quarantine to avoid the possibility of "false negatives". Until now, the BMC was conducting swab tests of high- risk contacts of coronavirus positive patients as soon as they were quarantined.
"It is observed that test results of asymptomatic patients often came out negative if they were conducted within five days of quarantine. In medical terms such tests are called false negative," the BMC said in a release on Thursday.
Asymptomatic people (who don't show symptoms of the disease) will now be tested after the fifth day of the 14-day quarantine period.
The BMC claimed it had conducted over 27,000 COVID-19 tests, which is 12.59 per cent of the total number of tests carried out in the country so far. The civic body also claimed that there has been no community transmission of the infection in Mumbai, which has reported over 2,000 coronavirus cases so far.
The BMC had conducted 27,397 COVID-19 tests till April 13, against 2,17,554 tests carried out across the country, the release said. According to the release, the civic body has set up 97 fever clinics across the city and 3,585 persons were screened at these facilities, which are located near containment zones where one or more COVID-19 cases were reported.
-- PTI
10:51 RBI cuts reverse repo rate from 4% to 3.75%
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announces a new set of regulatory measures to deal with financial challenges posed due to COVID-19. Speaking on the pandemic crisis, Das said:
-- IMF Economic Counsellor has named it 'The Great lockdown' estimating cumulative loss to global GDP over 2020-21 at around 9 trillion US dollars, which is greater than the economies of Japan & Germany combined.
-- Contraction in exports in March 2020 at 34.6%, turned out to be much more severe than during the Global Financial Crisis. However, amidst all this, the level of Forex Exchange Reserves which we have continue to be robust.
-- It has been decided to reduce the fixed reverse repo rate under liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 4% to 3.75%, with immediate effect. Reverse repo rate is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks. A decrease in the reverse repo rate will increase the money supply.
-- 90-day NPA norm not to apply on moratorium granted on existing loans by banks.
-- Banks not to make any further dividend payout in view of financial difficulties arising from Covid-19.
-- CPI inflation declined in March; inflation is on a declining trajectory.
-- Loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies to get similar benefit as given by scheduled commercial banks.
-- RBI will monitor evolving situation continuously, use all its tool to deal with pandemic fallout.
-- LCR requirement of banks brought down to 80% from 100%; to be restored in phases by April next year.
10:31 1.9% GDP growth for India highest in G20: RBI
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das briefs the media: Further updates:
-- IMF projection of 1.9% GDP growth for India is highest in G20
-- RBI to announce new measures to maintain adequate liquidity in system, facilitate bank credit flow, ease financial stress.
-- Contraction in exports in March at 34.6% much more severe than global financial crisis of 2008-09,Surplus liquidity in banking system has increased substantially as result of central bank actions.
-- No downtime of internet or mobile banking during lockdown; banking operations normal.
-- Impact of Covid-19 not captured in IIP data for February.
-- Automobile production, sales declined sharply in March; electricity demand has fallen sharply.
-- India is expected to post sharp turnround in 2021-22, says RBI Governor quoting IMF projection.
10:24 India's growth rate to be 1.9%: RBI governor
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das briefs the media. More updates:
-- On April 14, International Monetary Fund released its global growth projections revealing that in 2020, the global economy is expected to plunge into the worst recession since 'The Great Depression'.
Since March 27, the macroeconomic and financial landscape has deteriorated precipitously in some areas, but light still shines through bravely in some others.
-- There has been severe downturn in the economy worldover.
-- India growth stands at 1.9%
-- A 7.4% growth is expected in 2021-22.
-- India's growth rate best among G 20 countries.
-- Level of our forex reserves stands at $476.5 billion which is approximately 8 months of imports.
-- ATM operations in this period stood at 91 per cent of full capacity.
-- Banks have risen to the occasion.
10:12 Need to do whatever it takes: RBI governor
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das addresses the media. Das says we need to do whatever it takes to flatten the COVID-19 curve. He said humanity faces its biggest trial. He expressed gratitude to all banking and financial institution personnel who are working to keep services operational. He also thanked healthcare workers who were risking their lives to treat the patients. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Das said we must focus on light during our darkest moments.
10:05 Tomatoes rot in lockdown woes
Lockdown woes: In Madhya Pradesh, tomato produce is rotting in fields due to lack of labour and transportation. Farmers in Chhatarpur say, "All crops are completely destroyed. We are not able to take tomatoes to the market, it has caused us a loss of Rs 50,000 to 60,000 in the last two weeks."
09:50 Sensex rallies over 1,100 points; TCS soars 7%
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,100 points in opening trade on Friday tracking strong gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. Investor sentiment is also buoyed in anticipation of more measures from the Reserve Bank of India to revive the economy.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das is scheduled to address the media at 10 am amidst the steep fall in the rupee and the continuing volatility in other segments of the financial market.
After hitting a high of 31,711.70, the 30-share index was trading 1,036.74 points or 3.39 per cent higher at 31,639.35. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was quoting 291 points, or 3.24 per cent, up at 9,283.80.
TCS was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging up to 7 per cent. The country's largest software exporter reported a marginal dip in March quarter net at Rs 8,049 crore on Thursday. The company reported a 5.1 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 39,946 crore for the reporting quarter, while the same for the full year FY20 was up 7.1 per cent to Rs 1.57 lakh crore. Other gainers included Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC, PowerGrid and IndusInd Bank. -- PTI
US is on the decline, China on the rise
09:47 LIVE! China's economy contracts 6.8%
China's economy contracted 6.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.
The world's second-largest economy has been hit by drastic measures taken to contain the spread of coronavirus which has infected over two million people worldwide.
"According to the preliminary estimates, the gross domestic product of China was 20,650.4 billion yuan (about $3 trillion) in the first quarter of 2020, a year-on-year decrease of 6.8 percent at comparable prices," the bureau said in a report. This is the first time that China's economy has shrunk since 1976 and is worse for a single quarter since the country started publishing such figures in 1992, according to CNN.
The Chinese mainland reported more than 80,000 cases of coronavirus and over 3,000 deaths. Extensive lockdowns were put in place to curb the spread of virus, which originated in China's Wuhan province late last year, bringing the country to a standstill. -- ANI
09:44 Kumaraswamy's son to wed today
Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, will tie the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today. The haldi ceremony that took place yesterday at Kumaraswamy's residence in Bengaluru.
09:26 RBI Governor to address media at 10 am
Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das will address the media at 10 am on Friday amidst the steep fall in the rupee and the continuing volatility in other segments of the financial markets.
The rupee fell 0.55 per cent to a new record low of 76.86 against the US dollar on Thursday, while the equity indices have been on a see-saw in the wake of the coronaviirus outbreak losing over 30 per cent since January.
"Watchout for the RBI Governor @DasShaktikanta address live at 10.00 am today (April 17, 2020)," RBI said in a tweet.
This will the second time that the governor will be addressing the media since the nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25.
On March 27, RBI held a historic pre-term Monetary Policy Committee meeting whererin the repo rate was cut by a record 75 basis points. The repo rate was reduced to a 15-year-low of 4.40 per cent and was also the steepest cut since October 2004.
-- PTI
09:26 Encounter breaks out between security forces, terrorists in J-K's Shopian
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Dairoo area of Shopian in south Kashmir on Friday following specific information about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after terrorists fired upon security forces, who retaliated.
The gunfight is on, the official said, adding further details are awaited.
-- PTI
08:51 India's COVID-19 tally: 13,387 cases, 437 dead
Latest data from Union Health ministry put the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India at well over 13,000 as of the morning hours on April 17.
As per the update at 8 am today, confirmed cases in the country number 13,387 at the moment. 1,749 people have been cured/discharged/migrated so far, while the death count stands at 437.
As of 9 pm yesterday, a total of 3,02,956 samples from 2,86,714 individuals had been tested for the virus, data from ICMR showed.
Globally, the number of cases has gone up to 21,57,108, according to figures available during morning hours today. The number of the dead so far is 1,44,047.
America tops the casualties list with 34,562 deaths. Meanwhile, the death rate is falling for Italy and Spain -- signs that the worse could be over for the two European epicentres of the disease.
08:20 Shaheen Bagh becomes Covid-19 hotspot
Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area, which had remained the centre of a massive anti-CAA protest for nearly 100 days between December and March, has become one of the hotspots of Covid-19 outbreak.
Delhi government included the area in its list of Covid-19 cluster containment zones, along with a street in nearby Abul Fazal Enclave and a part of East Ram Nagar in Shahdara.
With these additions, the list of Covid-19 clusters in Delhi has climbed to 60. As per the Centre's cluster containment strategy and AAP government's Operation Shield, the identified zones are sealed and the movement of residents is strictly restricted, while the authorities conduct complete sanitisation of the area along with door-to-door screening for symptomatic people.
07:48 Global coronavirus death toll tops 1,40,000
The global coronavirus death toll passed 140,000, with nearly two thirds of all fatalities in Europe.
In total, 1,40,902 people have died of the virus, including 92,900 in Europe, the hardest hit continent in the world.
There are now more than 2.1 million recorded infections globally, nearly half of which are in Europe.
The United States has the most deaths with 31,590 fatalities, followed by Italy with 22,170 and Spain's 19,130.
00:11 3,336 Indians infected by COVID-19 abroad
A total of 3,336 Indians tested positive for coronavirus in 53 countries while 25 others died of the infection, government sources said on Thursday.
They said the Indians stranded abroad will have to be patient as the government is not evacuating them as part of a larger policy decision to check the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
"They need to be patient and stay where they are. Our missions have been told to extend all possible help to the stranded Indians," said a source.
According to the sources, evacuation of around 35,000 foreign nationals from 48 countries has been facilitated so far from India.
The sources said majority of Indians who tested positive for the coronavirus infection are living in the Gulf region. A sizeable number of Indians staying in France and the US have also tested positive.
They said that Indian missions in the Gulf region have been told to extend all possible assistance to the Indians in distress.
Around eight million Indians are living in the Gulf countries and there has been growing anxiety among them over their livelihood in view of the pandemic as it has majorly impacted the oil-driven economy of the region.
Almost all Gulf countries have taken a series of drastic measures including imposing total lockdown, travel restrictions and even closing borders to stem the spread of the coronavirus infection.
The United Arab Emirates has already warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow their citizens to return.
Around 3.3 million Indians are living in the UAE and they constitute roughly 30 per cent of the country's population. Among the Indian states, Kerala is the most represented followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
A large number of Indians are working in the construction sector in Qatar which is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
As a matter of policy, India has decided not to bring back the stranded Indians from abroad till the nationwide lockdown ends.
The issue of Indians in Gulf region figured prominently during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with heads of Indian missions abroad on March 30.
Welfare of Indians in the Gulf was the major focus area in the discussions Modi had with leaders of countries in the region over the last few weeks, officials said. -- PTI
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